STATE OF NORTH CAROLINAOFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONERS

The Board of
Commissioners of the County of Stokes, State of North Carolina, met

for regular session in the Commissioners’
Chambers of the Ronald Wilson Reagan

Memorial Building (Administrative Building located in Danbury, North Carolina on

Thursday, December 27, 2007 at 6:00 pm with the following members present:

Chairman
J. Leon Inman

Vice-Chairman
Jimmy Walker

Commissioner Ron
Carroll

Commissioner
Ernest Lankford

Commissioner
Stanley Smith

County
Personnel in Attendance:

County
Manager K. Bryan Steen

Clerk
to the Board Darlene Bullins

County
Attorney Edward Powell

Finance Director
Julia Edwards

Tax Administrator
Jake Oakley

Support Services
Supervisor Danny Stovall

Sheriff Mike Joyce

Chairman Leon Inman called the meeting to
order.

Commissioner Smith delivered the invocation.

GENERAL GOVERNMENT-GOVERNING BODY-PLEDGE OF
ALLEGIANCE

Chairman Inman opened
the meeting by inviting the citizens in attendance to

join the Board with the Pledge of Allegiance.

GENERAL
GOVERNMENT – GOVERNING BODY – APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Chairman Inman entertained a motion to approve
or amend the December 27, 2007

agenda.

Commissioner Lankford
moved to approve the December 27th agenda.Commissioner

Carroll seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

The following spoke during public comments:

Mr. Gary Alley

1069 Pack Road

Walnut Cove, NC27052

Re:Landfill

Mr. Alley presented Board members with information regarding the
history of the ownership of the land purchased by the City of Winston Salem (a
copy of the documentation will be retained by the Clerk to the Board .Mr. Alley
spoke briefly regarding the ownership of the property.Mr. Alley stated that the contract between
the Utilities Commission and the property owners was scheduled to expire on
09-18-2006 and the sale of the property was on 09-15-2006 (300+ acres in
Forsyth and 119+ acres in Stokes .Mr. Alley concluded that the Forsyth County
Board of Commissioners still must vote on the issue.

CONSENT AGENDA

Chairman Inman entertained a motion to approve
or amend the following items on the

Consent Agenda:

Minutes

·Minutes of December 4, 2007

·Minutes of December 10, 2007

Commissioner Carroll noted the following
corrections:

Minutes of
December 10, 2007

Page 7 – change
the following-forwith expansion… to for expansion…

Page 24 –
correction in spelling - Mayor Priddy-Charleville

Tax
Administration - Releases

Tax Administrator Jake Oakley presented the
following releases at the December 10th

meeting that were more than $100 (real/personal
property that must be approved by the
Board

of Commissioners:

Property
Tax

Account

Total

Reasons

Release
Request

Andrew
Mitchell

9509

$233.63

Per
NCGS105-378(a

(Bill
is 16 years old

Wheels
& Deals Inc.

155914273

$120.51

Per
NCGS105-375(34

(SWMH
Inventory

Dennie
Lynn Armstrong

35861

$127.83

Per
NCGS105-366(4 Estate Closed

Dennie
Lynn Armstrong

35861

$115.50

Per
NCGS 105-366(4 Estate Closed

Dennie
Lynn Armstrong

5861

$128.76

Per
NCGS 105-366(4 Estate Closed

Dennie
Lynn Armstrong

35861

$124.28

Per
NCGS 105-366(4 Estate Closed

Joyce
Elliott

59189

$124.61

Per
NCGS 105-366(4

Joyce
Elliott

59189

$115.69

Per
NCGS 105-366(4

Joyce
Elliott

59189

$108.11

Per
NCGS 105-366(4

Joyce
Elliott

59189

$104.55

Per
NCGS 105-366(4

Janice
Hulse Lunsford

34319

$215.90

Per
NCGS 105-366(4

Larry
James Bledsoe

26285

$334.11

Per
NCGS 105-366(4

Jerry
Wayne Heath

32663

$110.25

Per
NCGS 105-366(4

Henry
Webster Johnson

61918

$155.10

Per
NCGS 105-366(4

Henry
Webster Johnson

61918

$155.67

Per
NCGS 105-366(4

Total

$ 2,274.50

Northwest
Piedmont Workforce Development Board - Appointment

The Northwest Piedmont
Workforce Development Board recently notified the County

that the Board of Commissioners needed to appoint
a replacement for Economic Development

Director Ron Morgan on the Workforce Development
Board.Director Morgan retired on

October 31, 2007.The appointee
had to be someone from Economic Development with the

same status as Director Morgan.Per approval of the Chair of Governance and
Membership

Committee (WDB , the appointee can be the
Interim Economic Development Director Bryan

Support of for the Guard and Reserve: (Discussion Agenda - December 10th
meeting

STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR THE GUARD AND RESERVE

We recognize the National Guard and Reserve are essential to
the strength of our nation and the well-being of our communities.

In the highest American tradition, the patriotic men and
women of the Guard and Reserve serve voluntarily in an honorable and vital
profession.They train to respond to
their community and their country in time of need.They deserve the support of every segment of
our society.

If these volunteer forces are to continue to serve our
nation, increased public understanding is required of the essential role of the
Guard and Reserve in preserving our nation’s security.

Therefore, we join other employers in pledging that:

1.Employment will
not be denied because of service in the Guard or Reserve:

2.Employee job and
career opportunities will not be limited or reduced because of service in

the Guard and Reserve;

3.Employees will be
granted leaves of absence for military service in the Guard and Reserve,

consistent with existing laws; and

4.This agreement and
its resultant policies will be made known throughout our organization.

Approved this 27th day of
December, 2007.

___________________________________________________________

J. Leon Inman- Chairman
Jimmy Walker – Vice Chairman

_________________________________________________________

Ron Carroll - CommissionerErnest Lankford - Commissioner

____________________________

Stanley Smith - Commissioner

Attest:

_______________________________

Darlene M. Bullins – Clerk to the Board

Chairman Inman
entertained a motion.

Commissioner Lankford
moved to approve the submitted Resolution – Employer

Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve.Commissioner Smith seconded and the

motion carried unanimously.

County Manager Bryan
Steen presented the following information regarding

Differential Pay – National Guard and Reserves as requested by the
Board:

ŘChatham County – allows 10 days
with pay – does not have to use accrued leave

ŘCity of King – allows 10
workdays with differential pay

ŘDavie County – allows
employees 10 days – can use accrued leave or take without pay

ŘDuplin County –allows two weeks
–can take accrued leave or take without pay

ŘForsyth County –allows employee
to use accrued leave or take without pay

ŘFranklin County –allows 15 days –
can take accrued leave if desired

ŘGuilford County – allows up to 2
calendar weeks for training with pay

ŘRockingham County – allows 12
workdays or 96 hours whichever is less with differential pay

ŘTown of Walnut Cove – allows 10
working days without being forced to use accrued leave

ŘSurry County – allows 15
scheduled workdays without being forced to use accrued leave

ŘCurrent county
employees are making less than the amount received from the military during
their two week training

Chairman Inman
directed the Clerk to place the Differential Pay Information –National

Criteria for Special Separation Allowance for Law Enforcement Officers:

(Discussion Agenda – December 10th meeting

RESOLUTION CHANGING ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SPECIAL SEPARATION
ALLOWANCE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

WHEREAS, Section
3 of G. S. 143-166.41 provides that, “payment to a retired officer under the
provisions of this section shall cease at the first of: (1 The death of the officer;(2 The last day of the month in which the
officer attains 62 years of age; or (3 The first day of reemployment by any State
department, agency, or institution, except that this subdivision does not apply
to an officer returning to State employment in a position exempt from the State
Personnel Act in an agency other than the agency from which that officer
retired.”; and

WHEREAS, G. S.
143-166.42 places the responsibility upon the governing body for each unit of
local government of determining the eligibility and the applicability of G. S.
143- 166.41 to locally employed officers; and

WHEREAS, the
Attorney General’s Office issued an opinion that a local law enforcement
officer’s eligibility for the special separation allowance benefit is in all
instances determined by the officer’s local government employer,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, by the Stokes County Board of Commissioners that the eligibility
criteria will be changed to allow such that an officer who retired under the
provisions of G. S. 143-166.41 and who becomes reemployed as a law enforcement
officer on a part-time, interim or temporary basis in such a manner that does
not require membership in or terminate benefits from the Local Government
Employees’ Retirement System, shall not be deemed ineligible to receive the
special separation allowance solely on the grounds of such reemployment.

Resolution Approving a Seamless Mobility Study of the
Urban Transit Systems, Complimentary ADA, PART Express and the Human Service
Transportation Systems in the Triad Region

WHEREAS public
transportation services are provided to the general public by the Cities of
Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem and the Piedmont Authority for
Regional Transportation, and

WHEREAS human
services transportation systems are provided by the Cities of Greensboro, High
Point and Winston-Salem; the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation and
all ten counties in the PART territorial jurisdiction, and

WHEREAS the
system providers operate on independently planned routes, schedules, fares and
policies with limited federal, state and local funding resources, and

WHEREAS the PART
Board of Trustees and the North Carolina Department of Transportation do
propose to jointly and cooperatively undertake a Seamless Mobility Study of the
urban fixed route, complimentary ADA, and human services transportation systems
in the Triad Region to assess the effectiveness of services and to assess the
efficient utilization of limited funds to maximize the services for the
residents, visitors and guests of these counties, and

WHEREAS,
the North Carolina Department of Transportation – Public Transportation
Division has agreed to provide technical, administrative and financial support.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED, that Stokes County Board of Commissioners does

hereby approve of a Seamless
Mobility Study of all routes, schedules, administrative and

operating policies within its
service territory, and

BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that a Steering Committee and a Technical Advisory Committee with
appropriate representation be created to oversee and guide the study and the
members and staff of Stokes County will cooperate fully and completely by
providing all needed information in a timely manner for a successful completion
of the study.

Motion made by _____________________and seconded by
________________________and approved on
this being the ___day
of__________________, 2007.

Commissioner
Lankford moved to approve the submitted Resolution Approving a

Chairman Inman entertained a motion to enter
into closed session for the following:

·To consider the initial employment or
appointment of an individual to any office or position, other than a vacancy in
the Board of County Commissioners or any other public body, or to consider the
qualifications, competence, performance, character, and fitness of any public
officer or employee, other than a member of the Board of Commissioners or of
some other public body pursuant to

G.S. 143-318.11(6 .

Commissioner Lankford moved to enter into
closed session for the following:

·To consider the initial employment or appointment
of an individual to any office or position, other than a vacancy in the Board
of County Commissioners or any other public body, or to consider the
qualifications, competence, performance, character, and fitness of any public
officer or employee, other than a member of the Board of Commissioners or of
some other public body pursuant to

G.S. 143-318.11(6 .

Vice Chairman Walker seconded and the motion
carried unanimously.

The Board returned to
open session of the December 27th meeting.

Adjournment

There being no further business to come before
the Board, Chairman Inman